Show Notes
On the darkest day of the year, and with Trent Reznor everywhere with two new scores, it seems an appropriate time to discuss the Nine Inch Nails masterpiece The Downward Spiral. How did someone with actually so few real hits become such an influential artist? Why do people love to take their clothes off to Closer? Will Trent ever go through another velvet phase (please please)? Support this podcast: http://patreon.com/publicintellectual http://jessacrispin.com
More from Public Intellectual
From the creators of Public Intellectual: a new weekly podcast exploring the state of our cultural institutions, norms, and failures. It's called The Culture We Deserve. Because it is. Hosted by Jessa Crispin, the author of My Three Dads, Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto, and The Dead Ladies Project. We'll be launching in November 2023 with the miniseries "A Fifth of Mahler," a look at the state of classical music in an age of poptimism. Join us at http://theculturewedeserve.substack.com
Dianna Souhami has worked for decades as a chronicler of sexual subcultures in early 20th century Europe, and finally, she is allowed to deliver her thesis: without this network of lesbians, the parties they through and the lovers they supported, modernism would not have been possible. She speaks with Jessa about our limited ideas of creativity and genius, why rewriting history is still important, and the lifelong project of lineage. (This will be the final episode with Jessa Crispin as host.) http://patreon.com/publicintellectual
This week's episode is hosted by Cameron Steele. The flag waving and feminist arguments for more war and scapegoating of service members prompted by America's withdrawal from Afghanistan proves we still have not learned the lessons from 9/11 or our policy of endless war. Roy Scranton (WAR PORN) talks to Cameron about cycles of violence, our imperialist fantasies, and why war is a force that gives us meaning.
Between Love Island, Love is Blind, FBoy Island, Sexy Beasts, Too Hot to Handle etc, we sure do love watching hot straight people be tortured for the possibility of love. Cameron and Jessa discuss why these properties are still considered "guilty pleasures" despite the harm they are doing and why they all seem to be designed by incels. Support this podcast: http://patreon.com/publicintellectual
After a couple thousand years of Christianity, some populations who had been suffering under Yahweh decided to give some other gods and goddesses a try. But did they create systems that were just as equally oppressive to others? You know, on accident? The journalist Ana Valens returns to PI to talk to Jessa about the difficulties in mixing biology and spirituality, religion as protest, and what to do with mystical feelings in a secular culture. http://patreon.com/publicintellectual